Machine for making paper boxes



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MACHINE FOR MAKING PAPER BQXES l2 Sheets-Sheet 3 mmvron. 62,4 yro/v fire/1 w June 16, 1953 c. STRAW MACHINE FOR MAKING PAPER BOXES Filed Sept. 15, 1945 12 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

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June 16, 1953 c. STRAW MACHINE FOR MAKING PAPER BOXES 12 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 15, 1945 June 16, 1953 c. sTRAw 2,641,973

MACHINE FOR MAKING PAPER BOXES Filed Sept. 15, 1945 12 Sheets-Sheet e 'INVENTOR; 62A yro/v 5777/! W WK-W June 16, 1953 c. STRAW MACHINE FOR MAKING PAPER-BOXES 12 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Sept. 15, 1945 uvmvrok.

Wm M June 16, 1953 c. STRAW MACHINE FOR MAKING PAPER BOXES- 12 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Sept. 15, 1945 June 16, 1953 c. STRAW 2,641,973

MACHINE FOR MAKING PAPER BOXES Filed Sept. 15, 1945 12 Sheets-Sheet 9 mmvroze. 62A yro/v ,57'RA w C. STRAW MACHINE FOR MAKING PAPER BOXES June 16, 1953 12 Sheet s-Sheet 10 Filed Sept. 15, 1945 IN VEN TOR. 62A y-ro/v ,SWM w June 16, 1953 c. STRAW MACHINE FOR MAKING PAPER BQXES 12. Sheds-Sheet 11 Filed Sept. 15, 1945 JNVENTOR. 62A Y ra/v 169-114;

June 16, 1953 c. STRAW ,6 L MACHINE FOR MAKING PAPER BOXES Filed Sept. 15, 1945 12 Sheets-Sheet 12 INVENTOR. 62A yro/v ,Sr/m w BY WK- MM ATTORNEY.

I single-stay machines;

invention can be set for any size o-f-box within Patented June 16,1953

MACHINE 1 R MAKING. PAPER BOXES.

Clayton Straw, Henniker, N. H., assignor to'Henry Russell Davis, Jr., Winchester, Ma'ss.

Application September 15, 1945, Serial No. 616 06 V (oi. 9s 41) .27 Claims.

' This invention relates to paper box forming and staying machines, and'comprises'a further application of the principles of my Patent No. 2;367;698, granted January 23,1945, such patent setting forth a heat=activated stay material and methods-and'apparatus for applying the same to" thecornersof paper boxes in the process of forming the boxes.

A leading object of the presentinvention is to providean improved-and Wholly automatic machine for setting up flat box blanks into box Iorm'and applying't'o all four corners thereof simultaneously the novel heat-activated stay material of myabove patent, capable of utilizing the advantagesof my novel stay strip to attain a production far higher than staying machines of any prior type.

, Another leading object of the invention is to simplify'and speed upthe task of adjusting a quadruple-'staying' machine to make a different size of box. Prior commercialquadruple-staying machines take from 20 to 45 minutes of work in the process of setting them to make a different size of box, seriously impairing the economies of the automatic machine and thus requiring a big run of boxesvto pay for the change-over alone, as 'in'smallerruns itische'aper to use hand-fed The new machine of the its rangein a matter of 5 or 6 minutes, thus extending'the economies of the automatic machine to a'new field of small orders and short runs.

A further leading object is to provide an automatic quadruple-staying machine capable of' makingvery small boxes; as on the order. of one inch square. Since no automatic machine capable of making boxes of this size has been hithertoavailable to my knowledge, such boxes'hav'e' had to be bent up by hand and also stayed by hand, if stayed at all. On account of the cost, they are commonly left unstayed, and wrapped on awrapping: machine of which "the production islimited to from 900 to 1200'boxes per hourof this size; be'c'ausethe operator has to hold each box in shape'until the wrapping machine takes hold of it. With these small boxes set up and stayed automatically by my novel machine, this as- Other objects of the invention include a comprehensive' reorganization of the stay feeding and applying devices which have been the main source of trouble in theop'eration' of staying machines" throughout their history," with special at-' sible for sharpening-andadjusting; and through providing a fool-proof mechanism for varying the length of stay feed.

A further object-is to improve theblank-feeding mechanism so as to reduce the travel of the blanks from the hopper to the form, which is of special importance in making small boxes, and to provide continuous mechanical control of the blank until positioned beneath the form, to provide for variation of the speed of transport of the blank in proportion to its size, and to preserve'the proper timing of the blank feeding devices with respect to the other parts of the machineautomatically and without need for hand adjustment when the length of box blank is changed.

Still further objects are-to provide a mechanical'take-out for the boxes timing their discharge from the machine accurately so as to synchronize with attachments, or other machines performing further operations on the boxes, and to make this take-out easily removable when not needed or in the way.

Another object is to provide an improved givevvay automatically disconnecting the form from its drive, to prevent breakage upon occurrence of a am.

Other objectsfof the invention, and the manner of attainmentof these and the aims detailed above, are as setforth in the "followingdescription.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings inwhich 7 supports anddrives;

Fig. is an end elevation of the said feeder of Fig. 4, looking along the axis of the feed roll, showing the mounting of the idler roll and the stay guide.

Fig. 5 is a plan View of a stay-moistening attachment.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of the reduction gear units for driving the splined shaft actuating the stay feeders at one side of the machine.

Fig. 7 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 3, with the stay feeders and their supports removed to show the actuation of the corner pressers.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of certain of the parts shown in Fig. '7 together with the form and the side-bending rails, and the means for adjusting the machine for different lengthsof boxes.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged side elevation of the parts at the left-hand end of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the novel heated corner pressers.

Fig. 11 is an end elevation showing the provisions for adjustingwidthwise of the machine the rails carrying the corner blocks.

Fig. 12 is a sectionon line |2-|2 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 shows the give-way connection between the plunger carrying the form and the yoke which actuates the plunger.

Figs. 14 and 15 are face and side views respectively of a transmission unit through which the stay feeders are actuated, and providing for hand feed of the stay material in starting up.

Fig. 16 is a view in axial section on line |6--|6 of Fig. 1'7 of the stay feed length-control device.

Fig. 17 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 18 is a plan View of the manner of driving the parts applying pressure to the corners of the box and the reciprocating cross-head carrying the plunger up and down.

Fig. 19 shows in side elevation the blank feeder in its relation to the corner guides and the form.

Fig. 20 is an end elevation of the blank feeder showing the drives for the blank feed rolls and the adjustment of the lateral guide walls of the blank hopper.

Fig, 21 is an end elevation showing certain details of the blank feeder.

Fig. 22 shows the mechanical take-out applied to the side folders.

Fig. 23 shows the drive for the parallel shafts actuating the take-out.

Fig. 24 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the lower left-hand corner block and corner presser of Fig. '7.

Fig. 25 is an end elevation of the parts of Fig. 24.

Fig. 26 is a detail on enlarged scale showing in elevation the feeder-slide and its associated parts and the drive therefor.

Fig. 27 is a detail showing in end elevation certain of the parts of Fig. 26.

Frame and drive features The frame of the new machine is a housing I which is supported on feet or rails 3 and which is completely closed on all sides except at the central area of the top and at one end where an aperture is left for the discharge of the setup boxes by means of a conveyor belt 5 running around a spring-biased idler I and a corresponding driving roll within the housing, A motor 9 is mounted on the outside of the housing by a suitable bracket and by means of a belt and pulleys II and I3 drives a jackshaft I 5 having a pinion driving a larger gear IS on the main shaft 2! of the machine, the jackshaft being carried in a flanged bracket 23 closing an aperture in housing and havin both of the necessary bearings for such shaft. Shaft 2| is mounted in anti-friction bearings in capped hubs 25 having flanges bolted over and closing apertures in the housing, one of such apertures being large enough to admit all the parts mounted on shaft 2|. A face cam 21 is fixed on shaft 2| near each end thereof, and drives cross-head 29 carrying plunger 3| and form 33 thereon up. and down as heretofore by means of rods 35 and arms 31 linked to the lower end thereof, the arms being pivoted at 39 to bosses on the inside of the housing and equipped with cam followers 4| working in the paths formed in the faces 0f cams 21.

The lower half of the base of the machine, shown as slightly enlarged over the dimensions of the upper half in Fig. 1, is a closed chamber or sump partly filled with oil in which run the gears and cams just referred to, the top being closed by a division sheet or bafile 38 except for passages formed in the latter forthe chain 241 and slots permitting the pressure lever 5| to move back and forth, this division sheet keeping the fragments of broken blanks, stays, and

other substances from falling into the oil in the sump. On this division sheet 38 are supported housings 4|! holding the lower bearings for the plunger shafts 35.

Actuation of the stm -a1fi:ring means At midlength of main shaft 2| is fixed an eccentric 43 surrounded by a strap 45 having an integral threaded shank 4'! terminating in a portion of rectangular section fitting into a fork 48 at the lower end of pressure lever 5| and connected to the fork by a pivot pin. A heavy spring 53 around shank 4! bears against a shoulder 52 on a sleeve slidable on shank 41 and equipped with lugs 49 having round holes through which the pivot pin also passes. The hole in the shank 41 for the pin is in the form of a longitudinal slot, providing lost motion, so that the motion of shank 41 derived from eccentric 43 is imparted yieldingly to pressure lever 5| through spring 53, the degree of this pressure being adjustable by shifting a collar 55, screwed onto shank 41, lsengthwise 0f the shank to stress or relax spring Pressure lever 5| is apertured as heretofore in certain instances, as shown in Fig. 2, to permit the take-out belt 5 to be extended clear through the front end of the machine if desired, to make possible the use of additional devices (not shown) for the applying of extension edges, cel-. lophane windows, etc.,' to the boxes as they descend from the form.

The pressure lever 5| is mounted on a rockshaft 51 held in bearings in connection with the side frames of the machine, the hub of the pressure lever being split and clamped as well as keyed to a large-diameter central portion of the rockshaft. At each side of this central portion, the rockshaft is reduced in diameterand provided with a plurality of flutes 59, Fig; 9, to provide for width adjustment of two arms 6| which in efiect are the upper ends of the pressure lever. The hubs of these arms are provided with keyways to receive the flutes 59, Figs. 1 and 9, and the arms work in slots in the ends of the two rails 53 supported on main table 64, Fig. 7 (which is the plate forming the top of the machine and apertured at its center) so that their position is adjusted by the shift of these rails n w dening and narrowing'the, machine. being ant ers thereafter fixed by clamp-screws 62, table 64 being also slotted to accommodate each arm BI. The upper'ends of these'arms BI areeach connect'ed'by a connecting link 65, Figs. 7 and 9, and wrist pins to a cylindrical member 61 which works like a piston in a cylindrical guide 69 fixed on each rail 63, the inward end of each piston being bored out 'to receive the enlarged end or head 'II of the pressure screw I3 for each rail, the head being retained by a sleeve-nut I5 threaded into the inside of the bore which receives the head I I. By this means, the necessary rotation of the pressure screws I3 needed to accommodate the changed position of the corner pressers to adapt the machine to a different size of box,. as referred to hereinafter, is provided for, while any play in the connection between the piston 61 and the pressure screw is removed after the change is made'by re-tightening sleeve nut I5 to seat the head II tightly in the piston.

The pressure screws 13 serve by their endwise reciprocation derived from pressure levers 5|, 6|, to actuate racks 11, Figs. 7, 24, and 25, which transmit motion through intervening pinions 19 to racks 8I formed on the sides of the shanks of the diagonally disposed corner pressers 83 slidably mounted in guideways in each of the four corner blocks 85, thus thrusting the corner pressers 83 inward to set the stays across the corners of the box. The purpose in making the pressure screws as screws instead of as plain rods is to'keep the starting and stopping points of the stroke of the corner pressers 83 constant automatically at all settings of the machine, thus eliminating a most troublesome and time-consuming manual adjustment operation hitherto required each time a machine of this type was reset to make a different size of box. Thus each pressure screw I3'is provided with a right-hand thread where it extendsthrough one corner block 85 and a left-handthread where it passes through the adjacent corner block 85, and each rack 11 is formed on the side of a member 81 in dovetailed sliding engagement with the corner block, Fig. 25, the member 81 being formed with a trough 89,-Fig. 24, fitting freely about the threads of screw 13 but with a central section 9| which isconstricted and'carried upwardly and split along the line of the axis of the screw and equipped with a clamping screw 93, as well as beinginternally threaded to fit the thread on screw I3. In widening or narrowing the machine, therefore, after loosening sleeve-nuts I5 and clamping-screws 93 all round, the simul-.

taneous and equal rotation of both pressure screws I3, produced incidentally to the shifting of cornerblocks 85 to the new position; by means tobe described later, automatically locates the racks IT in proper position in the length of pressure screws I3 to maintain the proper starting point, stroke and pressure of corner pressers 83 when the operation of the machine is resumed, while' affording a non-slip connection between the racks TI and the driving elements I3. ,Thus the actual effect of this arrangementis to'pre-. vent relative movement between the corner:

6. racks 11, 8|, and the intervening pinion I9 is its low loss transmission of the power from the pressure 'lever'to the corner pressers 83, due to the pressers and their supports duringmovement of the supports in the process of adjusting the machine to make a difierent size of box. This relationshipisthen maintained by re-tightening. clamps'c'rews. 93 and sleeve-nuts l5-toprevent further'rotation' of screws I3, and itsattainment'. requires the 'exercise of no care or time other than the. -loosening and tightening of these parts; -A featureofithe novelicombin'ation oiZI-the twd factthat the thrust of the driving racks I1 is transmitted to the pinions I9, and thence from thepinions to the racks 8I on the presser shanks, at themost favorable angle, 1. e., at right angles to the surfaces which are in mutual engagement, under all circumstances. With the pinion I9 mounted on anti-friction bearings 95 on studs 91, the latter being fixed in covers 99 applied to the pinion housing IOI, the transmission loss from the pressure lever clear to the corner of the box is negligible. This overcomes the extremely wasteful loss of power which resulted in prior structures from driving the corner pressers solely by cams and followers, in order to transmit the power diagonally at the necessary 45 angle.

Adjustment for length of box Rotation of the pressure screws 13 automatically in the act of changing the position of the corner blocks is effected by means of a pinion I03, Figs38 and 9, fixed by a set screw on each pressure .screw 13 adjacent sleeve-nut I5, meshing with a wide faced idler gear I05 which is nuts II5, Fig. 25, fixed on depending lugs III bolted to the outward ends of corner blocks 85. Thus when crank H3 is manipulated to move corner blocks 85 of each rail 63 toward or from each other, a corresponding rotation of pressure screws I3 ensues which causes racks TI to shift their positions along pressure screws I3 a distance exactly equalling the shift of corner blocks 85,

so as to cause the corner pressers to maintain the same working position in the corner blocks at all settings, clamping-screws 93 having of course been loosened.

I Pressure screws'is have to be made in two parts, joined at midlength of the machine, in order to get the two reversely threaded rack members 8'! for the respective corner pressers into place thereon. For this purpose, the opposing ends of the two halves of each screw are threaded with the same thread, and joined by screwing into an internally threaded coupling I l, jam nuts being provided at each side of the coupling. This connection makes it possible to shift one-half of the pressure screw angularly on its axis with respect to the other half, to adjust the two corner pressers into exactly corresponding position on their corner blocks in erect- 7 ing the machine.

In order to center the two corner blocks on each table screw I99 accurately with respect to of the sleeve H9 forming the bearin surface for the screw and working within a lug extending down from the casting which forms the cylinder 69, fixedon rail 63. Thus, by loosening nut I2I the screw canbe rotated within nuts II5 on the corner blocks, which accomplishes the traverse of the corner blocks, and is for the moment employed to locate the associated corner block at the left-hand end of the machine accurately to the form. Then the other corner block is adjusted into symmetrical relation with the form by rotating its nut H5, Fig. 25, with'respect to the pendent lug II'I whereby it is mounted on such corner block, this nut being externally threaded into the lug with a screw thread of opposite hand to the internal thread of such nut, so that rotation of the nut within its lug advances the corner block along screw I09 without any accompanying rotation of the latter screw.

Side and end folders and blank guides Each corner block =35 has two upstanding plates 7 or folding members 523 disposed at right angles to each other. The plate of each corner block which is disposed transversely or at rightangles to rails 63 has a small horizontal bracket I25, Figs. 22 and 25, fixed to its top end, in which bracket is a dove-tailed slot. In these slots of the respective plates of the two associated corner blocks mounted on each rail is located a member I2! of dove-tail section on which is fixedly mounted a guide plate I29, Figs. 8 and 22, which with its supporting member I2! forms a bending rail, the plate being equipped with edgeguides I3I engaging the sides of the blank as fed under the form, so that each guide plate I29 is supported by two uprights, the plates I23 on each of the two corner blocks of that side of the machine. The dove-tail member I21 is adjustably fixed in one of its two brackets I25 by forming one side of the dove-tail in such bracket as a separate piece 233 clamped against the side of the member by a screw, while the member slides freely in the other bracket, so that the guide plate I29 will normally be in proper relation to its two corner blocks and the form without sepa rate adjustment, as the two corner blocks are moved together or apart in narrowing or widening the machine. As the form descends on a blank resting on plates I29, the side flaps of the blank are folded upward, and the inward edges of plates I23 hold the flaps in this position as the form continues its downward course.

The four end-folders I23 which are disposed parallel to rails 53 are lower than those just described, have no guide plates or other parts, but engage the end flaps of the blank to bend them up across the ends of the form 33 after guide plates 229 have done so with the side flaps of the blank. It is noted that the inward working edges of all eight of these upright folding members have a relatively long upward and outward bevel I35, Fig. 25, at their top ends, which prolong the folding action they perform on the sides of the box throughout a longer part of the descent of the form, which at the high speed of operation with which the boxes are set up and stayed in the present machine serves to prevent the breaking of the sides away from the bottom of the box along the score line between these parts, since the folding-up of the sides and ends is thus caused to take place more gradually.

Theshape of these side and end folders I 23 permits the corner blocks to beset very close together, and thus permits the machine to be closed up to permit the making of very small boxes.

Width adjustment The width-adjustment of the two rails 63 on which the paired corner blocks move lengthwise as described, is shown in Figs. '7, 11 and 12. Right and left-handed screws I45, made in two halves joined together at midlength, and one thereof rotated by hand-crank I41, and connected by chain I48 and sprockets fixed on the respective screws so that both screws turn in unison, pass through nuts I49 each having an integral fin l5I passing through a guide-slot I'53 in main table 64 and into a close-fitting slot cut into the under side of the web of each rail 63. A dowel pin I51 connects the rail and the upper end of the fin I5I to prevent relative movement transversely of the rail. Bolts I59 pass through a strap IBI which takes bearing against the under side of the fin I5I on nut I49 to clamp the latter against the under side of table 64 and accordingly to clamp the rail against the top of table 64, after the width-adjustment has been attained by rotation of screws I45. Loosening of the nut I63 on the accessible outward side of each rail lets the strap ISI down to release the clamping pressure of the nut and rail against the top side of the table 64, so that the rotation of screws I45 will move the two rails simultaneously inward or outward. The connection between the right-hand and the left-hand halves of screw I45 permits of relative angular rotation to set the two tracks equidistant from the center point of the machine, in setting it up.

The stay-(wiring devices The heated pressers 83, Figs. 10 and 24, working diagonally in the corner blocks cut 01f appropriate lengths of stay material coated on one side'with heat-activated adhesive and press them into position across the corners of the box while simultaneously with such pressure activating the thermoplastic adhesive to cause the stays to adhere to the two sidesof thebox. These pressers are of novel construction, the head containing the reentrant right dihedral angle being prolonged vertically for about twice the vertical height of the shank, this head having heating means preferably in the form of an electrical resistance type heating element I35 embedded therein and extending from near the top to the bottom of the head to the rack portion 8I, made up of aplu rality of strips I39 of spring steel arranged in vertical planes in spaced and parallel relation to' each other, so that the head of the presser is flexibly connected and able to swing in a horizontal plane and to twist as needed to effect accurate conformation to the surfaces of the box at each'side of the corner, thereby getting equal pressure on the parts of the stay which are applied to the respective two sides of the box adjacent the. corner. A suitable construction comprises the rabbetting and slotting of a short portion of shank formed integrally with the head of the presser, and a similar formation of the proximate end of the solid tail portion of the of air between the adjacent/strips, thus serving to dissipate the heat flowing back along the shank from the hea'darid' obstructing its flow to the adjacent parts of the machine whence it might get to the stay-handling devices and activate the stay prematurely; which might interfere with 'the proper operation of the machine; For the same porpose of obstructing the heat flow to'the machine parts, the sides of'the guideway in each corner block adjacent the head of the presser are lined with heat insulating material I43, Figs; '1 and 24, suchas hard pressed asbestos board. Stationary stay-cutting blade I44, Fig. 5, fixed to the top of corner block-85, intervenes between the top' surface of the head of the presser and the parts of the stay-feeder overlying this presser, shielding them from the heat.

The devices for feeding the thermoplastic stay strip'include a shaft I65, Figs. 1 and 3, running across the machine atthe delivery end thereof. this shaft running through two gear boxes I61 bolted on the ends of the respective rails 63 at the delivery end of the machine. Shaft I65 is splined, and drives a spur gear I69, Fig. 6, in each-gear box, through which gear the shaft I65 slides, this spur gear driving a smaller spurgear HI and bevel gears I13 in connection therewith, all within the gear box, to rotate a stay-feed shaft I15 extending lengthwise of each rail. The gear ratio increases the angular rotation of the stay-feed shafts, so that a smallerratio and more compact parts can be used to drive the shaft I 65.

Each driven bevel gear I13 has its hubextended out through the gear case and bored andislotted to form a socket receiving theend of itsstayfeed shaft I15 and a pin extending radially from the end of such shaft, the parts being held in connection by a cap I11 which is screwedman- 'ually on the threaded exterior portion I19 of the bevel gear hub, making a coupling which can be quickly and easily ,releasedas one ste'pin the,

novel provision for'takin'g out the entire stayfeed organizationassociated witheach rail when the time comes to sharpen the stay cutters.

Accessibility of stay-cutters The sharpening and adjustment of the. stay cutters has hitherto been alaborious and, timeconsuming operation needing .to. be .done' every few weeks when the machineis in! constant use, and has-always required the practical dismantling of the entiremechanism connected with thestayfeeding and applying so'that each cutter in turn.

cap screws I8I respectively-holding the two stay- I feed stands of Fig. 4 associated with each shaft I15 on their respective corner blocks 85'. Theentire stay-feed mechanisms are then lifted offby means of their shafts I15 as two units, leaving the moving cutterblades I33 completely ac- 1' 0? cessible from above as illustratedin Fig. 7. As shown in Fig. I0, the moving cutter blades I83 are" mounted directly on top of the corner pressers83; each blade being affixed thereto by 5 screws I84 with its V-shaped. cutting edge in exact conformity with the right dihedral angle comprising the working face of the presser. The

stationary blade I44,Fig. 5, is mounted on the corner block 85' directly over the movable blade,

bridging the shank of the presser 83. By removing the retaining screws, the cutter blades I83 are quickly removed for resharpening or replaced. The cooperating stationary shearing blade I44, of usual construction and known spring-pressed type, against which the moving cutter blade I83 acts to shear off the desired length of stay, is also made completely accessible for re-sharpening, when the'stands are taken off from their corner'blocks. The particular advantage of the improved rotary type of stay feed employed herein is that quick replacement of the parts by reversing the steps required to remove them, is effected without need for readjustment when the parts are put back in place, as the pin in the end of each shaft I15 serves to index the shaft in reassembling and thus preserves the timedrelation of the unit to the other machine parts while the stay-feeders stay on the shaft to preserve their} driving relation thereto.

Form drive In this connection, to make the pressers and the blades I44, I83 and other parts at the center of the machine more easily accessible, as well as to introduce a safety feature preventing breakage or springing of parts, a give-way connection shownin Figs. 1' and 13 is provided between the square plunger 3| carrying the form 33 and the reciprocating cross-head 29 which actuates it. For this purpose, plunger 3| is slidably mounted in asleeve 32 of rectangular section which is held'in'operatively fixed position in a square seat in cross-head'29 by a Hat clamping plate 34 applied to the cross-head by cap screws 36. A lug 38 is formed on plunger 3I' near the top thereof, whichis engaged'from above by a detent 4i) pivoted at '42 on a bracket'forming a part of permitting the latter to be slid upward through sleeve 32 by manual pull on knob52, thus lifting the form 33 up to the cross-head and giving free access to, the region below the-form. Detent 40 bears against the side of plunger 3| when handle 48' is released, to hold the plunger and form in lifted position out of the way While work is being performed beneath it. Thereafter, manual pressure on handle 48 retracts detent 40 to let the form and plunger descend until lug 38 rests on top of sleeve 32, whereupon release of the lever permits detent 46 to resume its position above lug 38 holding the latter in normal Working position against sleeve 32. When any substantial obstructionto the descent of form 33 is met with in the course of the operation of the machine, detent 40 yields upwardly andmoves away from plunger3l, permitting lug 38 to snap past it and allowing the descentof the form to be checked while cross-head j29 continuesito descend, thus preventing any breakage of parts.

This mechanism also provides for very accurate adjustment of the spaced relation of the form with respect to the cross-head, to fix theexactengagement with a lug 56 integral with sleeve 32.

Thus, when screws 36 of clamping plate 34 are loosened, screw 54 is turned one way or'the other to raise sleeve 32 or to let it down with respect to cross-head 29, thus raising or lowering the form relative to the latter, the adjustment being maintained by retightening of screws 36.

Thi adjustment is used to adjust the descent of the form to suit the depth of box being made thereon. By raising or lowering the form thereby, with respect to the cross-head 29, the cutting off of the stay in proper relation to the top edge of the box is accomplished.

The stay feed Each of the four stay-feeders, as shown in Fig. 4, comprises a bevel gear I85 having a hub I81 rotating in a collar I9I forming a part of the stay-feeder stand I93, the end of the hub being slotted at I95 7 and externally threaded and a plurality of tongued washers I89, Fig. 411, being slipped over the projecting end of the hub to seat against the collar I9I, so that their tongues project through the slots I95 and into grooves I91 in stay-feed shaft I15 which extends through the hub of bevel gear I85. A jam-nut I99 is applied to the threaded end of the hub outside the washers to hold them on the hub.

Bevel gear I 85 meshes with a companion bevel gear 20I pivotally mounted at 45 to the first one upon a stud 203 fixed in stand I93. Bevel gear 20I is formed as an integral part of a knurled stay-feed roller 205, with which an idler roll 201 cooperates to press the stay between them to insure the movement of the stay in exact unison with the travel of the knurled surface of feed-roll 205. This idler roll is yieldingly pressed against the surface of the feed-roll so as to keep a constant pressure on the stay, and is shiftable away from the feed-roll for convenience in threading up and in clearing jams. For this purpose, feedroll 201 is mounted on a stud 209 which is fixed in an arm 2| I on an eccentric strap 2I2 rotatablymounted on an eccentric 2 I which is mounted on the projecting end of stud 203, the angular position of the eccentric being fixed by a screw 2I 1 put through a slot 2 I3 in the eccentric and into stand I93. The eccentric strap. 2I2 is constantly urged counterclockwise by an expanding spring 2 I 9 confined between the base of stand I93 and a lug 22l on the side of the strap, thus rotating the strap in a direction which brings the idler roll 201 yieldingly toward the surface of feed-roll 205 to press the intervening stay strip against the knurled surface of the latter, the center of rotation of the strap 2I2 about eccentric 2I5 being apart from the axis of feed-roll 205.

The arm 2 I I of eccentric strap 2 I2 which carries idler r011 201 has an integral or otherwise rigid extension 223 which extends laterally and then vertically downward just outside the path of the form, so that the surface of such extension which is toward feed-roll 205 guides the stay fed between the two rolls downwardly through a cutting slot in stationary cutter I44 and into parallel with the corner of the box, thus bringing the stay into position across the face of corner presser 8.3., The

described arrangement of the eccentric makes it possible to keep this guide device always in vertical relation, so that it will not obstruct the descent of the box, itsclearance from the descending form being-very close to this point, yet at the same time the guide can be swung inward and upward of the machine so that the operator can get his fingers between it and the feed-roll to clear out doubled-up stay when a jam occurs. The arrangement of the eccentric thus provides for keeping the angle of guide 223 on the eccentric strap always the same, so that the guide will be vertical, in spite of wear of the idler roll and its bearings which would otherwise permit this angle to change. As a fixed mounting for the idler ro-ll and guide surface cannot be employed since both must be swung out of the way for threading up and clearing jams, the improved construction both provides for thisnecessarymovement and also by separating the idler roll and the guide and spacing them apart from each other in the length of the stay, avoids the previous serious difficulty, resulting from having the idler roll work through a slot in the guide, of having the slot eventually choke up with paper fibers'and adhesive and stop therolls rotation, causing a fiat placeto wear on the tread of the idler roll destroying its further utility and requiring its replacement.

Stay feed drive The transverse shaft I65 which-drives the stayfeeding shafts I15 is itself driven through a double roller ratchet 225,. Fig. 15, or Horton clutch, so-called, from multiplying gears 226, 221, Fig. 14, actuated by an obliquely disposed rack 229 in a housing 23I afiixed at 233 to the inside of one side frame of the machine. The internal hub 235 .of the roller ratchet is fixed on the end of transverse shaft 165, with one set of rollers working insidethe flange of a spur gear 225 of the multiplying gear train, such spur gear being loose on shaft I65, while the other set of rollers 223 on thesame hub 235 engages, within the rim ofa cup 239 fixed to the inside of housing 231., withjthe result that. when the spur gear 226 is rotated in one direction, by the movement of rack 229 it imparts its rotation to the shaft, but when the gear moves reversel the gear ratchet releases and the cup ratchet holds the shaft from reversal of its direction of rotation. With this arrangement, a hand-wheel 24I fixed on the extreme end of the shaft outside of the housing enables the mechanism to be actuated by hand to feed the stay through the feeders in starting up the machine and in testing and adjusting the length of stay fed.

To actuate the rack, it is connected at 243 with a connecting rod 245, Figs. 1 and le which is pivoted on a crank pin 251 on a constantly rotating member driven by suitable'chains 241 and sprockets from the main shaft 2I Stay feed adjustment To adjust the length of stay fed at each actuation, the throw of this crank pin is varied. The mechanism providing for this is shown in Fig. 16, and comprises a sleeve 249 constantly driven by a sprocket 25I, actuated by one of the chains 241, offset from its hub on account of the necessities of the location of the distant sprocket driving the chain which actuates this sleeve. The latter sleeve has an inner end of enlarged diameter, in which is formed a diametric dove-tailed slot 253, with a correspondingly dove-tailed block 255 sliding therein and formed with an integral crank pin 251 which goes through the eye in the end '13 of connecting'rod 245. To adjust the eccentricity of this crank pin, and hence, the throw of rack 229, block 255 has a transverse slot 258 in which works an eccentrically located pin 259 fixed in the inner end of a tubular member 26I which rotates within the interior'passage of sleeve 249 and has fixed on its outward end an indicating pointer 263. The sleeve 249 has a recessed dial 265 aflixed to its outward end by screws 268, such dial being inscribed with numbered indexing marks or divisions as shown in Fig.- 17, against which the pointer 263 works. Thus rotation of the tubular member 26I to which the pointer is attached, relative to the sleeve 249 having the dove-tailed slot, slides the dove-tailed part 255 carrying the crankpin 257 along the slot 253, changing the eccentricity of the crank pin 25'! and thus the throw of the crank and rack 229 to a known degree as indicated by the scale on dial 265. After the desired crank throw and resulting length of stay feed has been attained, the parts .are locked in adjusted position by tightening a long screw 26'! equipped with a head 259 and which is threaded into the reduced inner end of the passage through tubular member 26 I, the end of such screw pressing against a washer 2H slipped over pin 259 and interposed between the end of tubular member 26I and the part 255 to bridge the slot 258 in the latter, and hold the part 255 in fixed position in the dove-tailed slot 253 without any strain on the adjusting mechasimply results in bringing crank pin 251 back 7 toward its center of revolution, reducing the throw of the crank and avoiding all damage to the Working parts.

Alternative use of glue-coated stay The improved stay-feeding devices, though primarily designed for the feeding of thermoplastic stay with its freedom from troubles incident to gumming-up of the stay-feeding and handling devices and immunity from difliculties arising through faulty adhesion and changing atmospheric conditions, is still easily adaptable to the use of the older stay material coated with glue or other water-activated adhesive. In using either type of stay, the roll of stay strip supplying each of the four stay feeders is mounted for unwinding rotation in any usual or preferred manner adjacent each corner block. When stay strip having water-activated adhesive is used, the moistening unit 219;Fig. 5a; 'is' mounted on each corner block as indicated in dotted lines on the upper right-hand corner block 'of'Fig. 3, and the usual conditioning roll 215 mounted in a slot in an arm 21'! oneach corner block'B5 is employed to lengthen the path from such unit to the stay feeder. Water is kept in the reservoir 28! into which dips a large moistening-roll 283, the advancing stay strip being led under a guide-roll 285 and over roll 283 to rotate the latter. The moistening roll'has the'usual groove 'in the middle of its face, so as to leave a narrow strip of unmoistened adhesivelin the zone where idler roll v 201 presses the strip against feed-roll295, to re- Blank-feeding devices Improvements in the blank-feeding devices with the objects set forth in the preamble hereof include the mounting of the feeding devices on the main table so as to be adjustable as a unit toward and from the path of the form. For this purpose, the hopper 281, Figs. 1, 19, 20, 21, has its bottom 289 slidably mounted by means of a heavy rib '29l on its under side in guides 293 on the top edges of a box-like housing or stand 295, Fig. 19, attached by cap screws 296 to main table 64 over an aperture 291, out in table 64 at the middle of its width. In this housing is fixed a vertical plate 299, Figs. 19 and 21, stretching across the interior of the housing and fixed in place by cap screws 298 put through the side walls of the housing into the plate 299. A bracket 39! fixed on the end of hopper bottom 289 carries a screw393 which is threaded through fixed plate 299, the screw being prevented from endwisemovement in bracket 3! so that manual rotation of the screw by handle 305 advances or retracts the hopper as a unit toward and from the path of the form 33. The hopper has an end-plate 39'! which .is supported Withits lower End-wall 30'! is provided with the usual gate comprising a member 3I3, Fig. 20, vertically adjustablein dove-tail guides in end-plate 301 so that its lower end may be spaced accurately from a bevelled plate 3 l5, Fig. 19, by a distance exactly equalling the thickness of the blanks to be fed, so as to permit only one blank at a time to be fed forward from the bottom of a stack of blanks lying with their leading edges against the inward surface of end-plate 391.

To feed the blanks one by one from the bottom of the stack along the hopper bottom and through the gate, a feeder-slide 3, Figs. 21, 26, and 27, worksin a T-slot cut longitudinally along the center line of hopper bottom 289, the feeder-slide having a device 3|9 to slip under the stack and push the bottom blank through the gate. Toactuate the feeder-slide, a camfollower roll 32! is mounted on a pin fixed in a lug 322 integral with feeder-slide 3H and extending through a slot 323 out through the heavy rib 29'! of the hopper bottom below the T-slot therein. Follower-roll 32I works in a camgroove or path 325 in acombined barrel and endcam 32'! fixed on a splined shaft 329 rotating in bearings 33] depending from the under side of rib 29L This shaft is driven by'a sprocket 333 having a hub slotted to take the spline on the shaft, and held against endwise movement with the shaft as the hopper is adjusted forward or back from the form by fitting the reduced intermediate part of the hub into a slot formed in the'top of plate 299 fixed in the housing 295. Sprocket 333 is driven by a chain 335 passing through the aperture 291 in main table 64 and through a registering opening in the plate 209, the chain being driven by a sprocket 331, Figs. 1 and 21, fixedon a jackshaft 330 mounted in suitable bearings in a baffle plate 34! extending across the interior of the machine from one side wall to the other. This jackshaft is driven by bevel gears from the transverse shaft 342 transmitting the drive from one chain 241 to the other chain 241 of the stay-feeding devices, previously referred to.

The actual feeding device 319, Figs. 26 and 27, is fixed to feeder-slide 311 with capacity for its adjustment lengthwise thereof to suit the length of blank being fed, by cutting a T-slot 333 lengthwise in the feeder-slide, and putting a screw 345 down through the member 319 into a rectangular block 341 occupying the wide part of this T-slot, the feeder device having a tongue which also fits into the upper portion of such T-slot to hold it against rotation on the feederslide. After adjustment to the proper lengthwise position, tightening of the screw 345 causes the block to clamp against the overhanging sides of the slot and fix the device in the adjusted position. The top surface of feeding device 319 inclines upwardly and away from the end-plate 301 of the hopper and is equipped at its high end with thin metal plates 3l8 applied to its inclined surface which are of the exact thickness of the stock being used for the blanks, so that the lowermost blank in the stackwill settle in front of them as this end of the feeding device passes out from under the stack, and on its next forward stroke this one blank alone will be fed from the bottom of the stack through the gate. The blanks are confined between end-plate 301 and a back-stop 349, Figs. 1 and 26, this back-stop having an upright part to engage the rearward edges of the stacked-up blanks and a foot at right angles thereto and of dove-tail section fitting within a dove-tail 35!, Fig. 21, in the hopper bottom above the T-slot for the feeder-slide. The foot of the back-stop is split vertically and expanded to hold the foot in position after having been adjusted lengthwise of the hopper bottom to suit the length of the blanks, by tightenin a wing-nut 353 on the shank of a screw put through the split and having a downwardly fiaring head engaging the sides of the split.

The rear edge of the feeding device 319 is slotted so that the blank-grasping edges of the plates 318 can pass back of the working surface of back-stop 349, to ensure getting beyond the edge of the bottom blank and make sure this blank is slid out from under the stack by the plates 310 on the next forward movement of feeding device SIS. When very small boxes are being made, the metal plates 318 are located near the front edge of the feeding device 313, and an extension 355 is mounted on the back-stop comprising a metal strip fixed to the top of the back-stop and extending forward and downward into proximity with the surface of feeding device 319, thus keeping the rear edge of the stack forward of the rearward position of these plates 3|8 while providing for a relatively longer useful part of the feeding stroke of the feeding device 3 I 9.

The function of the feeding device just described is to feed the blanks successively from the bottom of the stack through the gate and into the nip of a pair of feed rolls 351, 359. The actual travel of the leading edge of the blank from its starting point below the rearward surface of end-plate 301 until it is seized by the feed rolls is on the order of only 1% inches, ensuring com- 16 plete control of the blank during this movement.

The top roll 351, Figs. 19 and 20, of the pair of feed rolls propelling the blank is divided into two entirely separate halves, which are respectively mounted on anti-friction bearings 360 on aligned stub-shafts 35! fixed in brackets 363 mounted on the front face of end-plate 331 of the hopper. This permits a blank-pusher 365 to swing back behind this divided roll to get back of the rearward edge of theblank being fed by the feed rolls before such blank has been released by the feed rolls, so that the pusher can take over the propulsion of this blank just as its rearward edge passes out from the nip of the upper and lower feed rolls, and thus maintain the positive mechanical control of the blank from the moment it starts forward beneath the stack and until it reaches its final position beneath the form 33. Bottom feed roll 359 is grooved as indicated at 361 also, so that the end of the pusher can ex:- tend below the level of the nip of the rolls and take over the feeding of the blank the instant it is released by the feed rolls. 7 v

To drive the two halves of the upper feed roll 35! in unison, a pinion gear v369 is fixed to the end of each half thereof, one of such gears being driven by a pinion 31E fixed on the end of a jackshaft 313 driven by V-pulley 315 and V-belt 316 passing therearound, from a motor 311 mounted on a housing 313 on the outside of the long side wall 31! of, the hopper, and extending for the full length thereof.

The drive for the other half of divided top roll 351 is carried up from driving pinion 31! to pinion 312, thence across via shaft314 to pinion 313, and thence through idler 318 to the gear 339 fixed on the end of the other half of top feed roll 351, these parts being all supported by the brackets 363. The vertical spaced relation of cross-shaft 314 permits sufficient swing of the pusher 365 to let its lower end reach back of the nip line of the feed rolls.

The belt31$ also passes around a V-pulley 381 fixed on a jackshaft 383 mounted in bearings 38 on the under side of hopper bottom 289, the jackshaft driving a spur gear 385 which meshes with an idler gear 381 which in turn engages with gear 389 fixed on the end of bottom feed roll 359. The latter roll and its idler gear 331 are mounted in brackets 39! swinging around jackshaft 333 and suitably as by spring 392 to hold the bottom feed roll up to the top feed roll, but with capacity for yielding movement downward as the blank passes through.

Pusher 355 is an arm fixed by means of its hub on a rockshaft 393 working in a bearing 305 formed on a bracket 301 attached to the front wall of the end-plate 301. This rockshaft is actuated by a. short arm 393 fixed on the rockshaft and connected by a link 40!, Fig. 19, extending within the housing 319 where itis connected to an arm; 403, Fig. 21, fixed on a rockshaft 405 working in a sleeve bearing 401 on the under side of hopper bottom 289. A bent arm 409 fixed on the other end of this rockshaft has a camfollower roll All which is held against an end cam 413, Fig. 19, on barrel cam 321 by a pull spring M5 attached to link 40| within the housing 319 and anchored to a screw in side Wall 3H. Thus as the barrel cam revolves, pusher 365 is alternately swung positively toward the form to propel the box blank toward the form, and is swung yieldingly in the opposite direction to bring the pusher back beyond the nip of feed rolls 351, 359 for its next operation. 

